Brewing, Serving, Drinking.....Cha
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Brewing, Serving, Drinking........Cha
In Chinese community, the younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. Centuries ago people of lower rank will serve tea to the higher ranking people but these days it is common for bosses to pour tea for their subordinates during a staff dinner. My Chinese friend told me that some people apologize to others by pouring them tea to show regret for what they have done. It is a common practice for the Chinese brides and grooms to kneel in front of their parents and serve them tea, to express their gratitude for bringing them up. The parents after drinking the tea will give them a red envelope “hong bao” to wish them luck.
 I also know that most Chinese restaurants and dim sum restaurants serve Chinese tea– therefore when I walked into Yixing Xuan Teahouse, a Chinese tea shop that
specializes in Chinese tea leaves and accessories for tea lovers, I was wondering
to myself, “what else is there to learn about Chinese tea?” I met up with Mr. Vincent
Low, the owner and Tea Master and he opened my senses to another world.
Vincent, a former banker conducts workshops on Chinese Tea Appreciation.
He
 has given tea workshops over the past 23 years and has appeared in several local and oversea radio and TV talk shows. His teahouse has seen world famous celebrities like Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1991. For more than 1.5 hours, I learnt the little details that go into brewing, serving and drinking Chinese Tea.
TYPES OF CHINESE TEA
Green Tea
Only one shoot and 2 side leaves of the tea plant is used. Green tea is also called unfermented tea. It is made with the new shoots and by applying the typical techniques of withering, pan-frying, rolling and drying. According to the drying and withering techniques, it is furthered sub-divided into stir-fried green tea, roasted green tea, sun-dried green tea and steamed green tea. Green tea is emerald in color, thick in fragrance – somewhat like the smell of seaweed, sweet and refreshing in flavor and its leaves are the shape of a sparrow's tongue. Hangzhou is one place that is famous for green tea. Green tea has anti-aging properties and prevents bad breath.
.jpg) Red Tea (Black Tea)
The leaves, stems and twigs of the whole tea plant can be used for making Red Tea. Red Tea is also called fermented tea and is exquisitely made through the typical technical processes of wilting, rolling, fermentation and drying. Its infusion is mainly red in tone. Hence what is known as black tea elsewhere is known as red tea in China. It’s most produced in Yunnan and Hunan. Red tea helps in digestion and keeps us warm during cold seasons.
Oolong Tea
Only the large matured leaves are used for Oolong tea. Oolong Tea is an unfermented tea and has some unique and distinctive characteristics. It is a blend of green tea and red tea, has qualities of both green tea and red tea. It not only has the thick and fresh flavor of red tea, but also has the pleasant fragrance of green tea. It produced a lot in Fujian and Taiwan. Oolong tea helps to ‘melt’ tea and hence people can lose fat faster if they were to drink Oolong tea.
White Tea
Only the young shoot is used for making white tea. White tea is specialty of Fujian province and apparently it got its name from the story of poor Chinese people offering boiled water to guests if they didn't have any tea, which they called "white tea". White tea is lighter in color and flavor than most other teas. White tea is produced most in Fujian and it helps to keep the body ‘cool’ and said to protect the circulatory system.
Yellow Tea
Yellow Tea is produced by letting damp tea leaves naturally turn yellow. It has an original smell and smell similar to green and white teas. Yellow Tea is also a term used to describe the top-quality tea served to the emperor, because the imperial color has traditionally been yellow!! Yellow tea gets rid of toxic materials from the body and grown most in Hunan and Guangdong.
Scented Tea
Scented tea is made by mixing and adding aroma to tea leaves with scented flowers, letting the tea assimilate the fragrance of the flowers by taking advantage of the absorption of tea leaves. Jasmine, rose and orchid flowers are most often used for scented tea.
 TEA ACCESSORIES
In order to make good tea and hold a great ceremony, one must invest in a purple sand tea pot, wooden tea scoop, tea scraper, tea tweezers, a justice cup, a fragrance cup (sniffer), small tea cups and a saucer plate. You must also have a ‘tea sea’ made of clay or sandstone – this is used for containing waste water from rinsing of cups and tea leaves.
HOW TO SEASON A CHINESE TEAPOT
A brand new teapot must be cured. According to Vincent, to cure a teapot, you need to place loose tea into the pot and fill it with boiling water. You have to boil it for about 1 hour and then simmer it and let the tea steep overnight if possible. This technique is said to seal the inside of the teapot. Also, oils from the tea leaves fill in all the tiny pours of the new teapot. It’s important to note that these teapots should not be washed with soap.
HOW TO MAKE A POT OF GOOD CHINESE TEA
Vincent taught me a whole new way of formal tea drinking.
Boil the water –best would be soft water. Filtered water is best BUT DO NOT use distilled water as it makes tea flat. (water must be boiled 75°C for green and white tea; 90°C for Oolong tea and 100°C for black tea)
In the meanwhile rinse the teapot with hot water and fill with required amount of tea leaves
Wash the tea leaves by filling the pot with hot water up to half full and draining the water immediately leaving only tea leaves behind.
The beauty of the whole thing is, all pouring away of waste water, should be performed in a nice crafted bowled called the “tea seas” to be discarded away later.
Pour more hot water into the teapot and pour water over the teapot sitting on the ‘tea sea’.
The infusion should not be steeped for too long, about 30-45 seconds is an appropriate maximum.
Pour the first round of infusion into small sniffer cups within a minute by continuously moving the teapot around over the cups. Each cup of tea is expected to have the same flavor, aroma and color. A Chinese tea connoisseur first sniffs her tea before pouring it into another serving cup and then drinks it appreciating.
These small cups must be placed on the ‘tea sea’ to catch spillage.
Pour more hot water into the remaining tea leaves and repeat process. It is possible to draw six to seven good infusions from a single pot of tea, but subsequent infusions must be extended somewhat in duration to extract maximum flavor - the second infusion extended by approximately ten seconds to 40 seconds, the third extended to 45, etc.
 When using the small tea cups never gulp the tea at one go. Instead, sip the tea through the lips and teeth making a hissing sound and sniff the fragrance as you drink.I think we should also enjoy brewing tea as well. It relaxes the mind and while brewing, drinking serving, we forget our troubles in life!! While drinking tea, attention is paid to environment, atmosphere, and music, infusing techniques and interpersonal relationships too. And while you are at this long ritual of drinking Chinese tea, pay attention to taste of tea, the smell, how one tea tastes compared to the earlier one…..therefore tea drinking should be a sensory exploration and appreciation.
You may want to change your lifestyle.....drink more tea and contact the Tea Master:
Yixing Xuan Tea House
30/32 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088453
Tel: 62246961
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